Blue Like You

Archive for December 22nd, 2007

(Courtesy of Brian Reese.com)

Remember the reason for the season.

I would like to wish all my readers and fellow bloggers peace and joy at Christmas and always.

Lots of news stories to distract you from your last-minute Christmas shopping. In fact, let’s start with this one:

The Post has a great piece on the ‘open 24 hours’ craze that seems to be intensifying as the big day approaches - Shopping at 4 a.m. appeals to those leading hectic lives.

Why do we do this? The other day the ladies in my workout class were discussing all the demands we face this time of year. One said she couldn’t sleep the other night, so she got up in the middle of the night and wrote out all her Christmas cards!

Do we put this burden on ourselves? It seems that women are usually the Christmas directors in each family. Why do we assume these expectations?

One of my favourite authors, Ed Hallowell, is quoted in the above-noted article:

“It’s good news and bad news, in general, about modern life. The good news is we can do so much; the bad news is we can do so much,” said Dr. Hallowell, also the author of CrazyBusy: Strategies for Coping in a World Gone ADD. “If you have no boundaries, take every message, take every call, go to every store, go through every opportunity, you run yourself ragged and so you see people becoming crazy busy.”

People must protect themselves from ceaseless demands on their time and attention as the ever-elusive work-life-balance comes under siege by retailers.

“It becomes crucial to prioritize. Otherwise you become the victim of your own enthusiasm and you end up trying to do too much. You make yourself too available and then nothing is fun.”

Related article - Last-minute shoppers can blame technology.

Well, if you crave even more distraction, check out these links:

Great Letter to the Editor here in the Post - Showing our PM in a bad light. The CBC-Liberal conspiracy theory is advanced. Check out the Black Rod too.
-Also: CBC news coverage a bit of a charade - Lorne Gunter.

Stephen Taylor - CBC responds to Doug Finley.

John Ivison - Dion’s poverty plan could cost economy:

…However, an internal government analysis of Mr. Dion’s spending plans, obtained by the National Post, suggests that when Canadians take a closer look at what the Liberals are proposing, they may decide the country can ill afford to be run by a man one of his Liberal leadership rivals once confided “couldn’t balance a cheque book.”

In other news, the outrage over the pathetic sentence given to the pedophile-Internet-porn-father seems to have finally caught the attention of the powers that be - Crown to review pedophile dad’s ’slap on the wrist‘. Both levels of government need to get on board here. When even liberals are outraged, then something is very, very wrong.

Why is our society so anti-children?

Related: Battle lines drawn on crime - Michael Harris.

And Lottogate continues - The OLG? Quit kidding around - David Menzies.